MeredithMcFee

I'm in between jobs right now so clothes haven't been a real issue for me. Like most of us, I have clothes in my closet, attic, stored away just waiting for that day to be able to wear them again. Right before contemplating on the lapband surgery, I almost gave them away to GoodWill as I knew that day was never going to come. Fortunately, most of them are classic clothes so I have a lot of trousers/slacks that are still in style if I need to wear them again. Right now, I'm wearing yoga pants as it's cold and raw here in NJ for the past few weeks. I was never able to or shall I say feel comfortable wearing Yoga pants before with my saddlebags and derreirre as big as it was. Due to a smaller top, I never wanted to wear real big shirts to cover the bottom as it just wasn't me. So now, I can wear the yoga pants with tank tops and sweat jackets and feel comfortable running errands, etc. My mainstay typically are jeans and long broomstick skirts. Winter with boots and summer with sandals. The only real expense I bought so far since the surgery was the 7 jeans from Lane Bryant. They were pretty expensive but they felt and looked so good on me, I said the heck with it! Surprisingly, when I got to the register, a woman gave me her coupons, {I threw mine out since I was never going back there again, ha, the laugh was on me} and I basically got the pants for free! So naturally, I bought some khaki cargo pants too that I always liked to wear but never thought I should. It's a good feeling. Like Valerie Bertinelli says in her Jenny commercial, I too was an urban hermit for the past year or so. Now, like Helen Reddy's song, I am Woman, hear me Roar! I am baaaaacccckkkk! And lovin' it!

NJ2NC- That had to be an awesome surprise for you. ChrissyLu- Can't wait to see a picture of you in your new outfit. I have a good friend who does well with coupons, sales and such, like you. I am so bad when it comes to sales and coupons and getting good deals. Since most of my weight is in my bottom, if I find a pr of slacks/jeans that fit, I just buy them no matter how much they are. Hopefully, the smaller I get, I'll be able to get better deals in places like Marshall's and TJMaXX where I always seem to find a better selection of clothes in smaller sizes but could never wear. JDI130: Good luck finding those smaller size dress slacks for a good price.

Just wondering if you can scan food info from my Android smart phone? If so, how do you do it?

JDI130: Thank you so much! I thought there was a way. I just did it! Love this feature!

Hi All. Looks like we all had a busy weekend. It's that time of the year. Congrats to you Nicloe for thinking out of the box and mixing up your workout and calories. Being in medicine, I've always learned "medicine is not an exact science" and neither are our bodies when it comes to losing weight especially with having the lapband! As long as we keep on trying. Speaking of which, I lost my mojo this past week and haven't exercised all week. I still watched what I ate, was working around the house and backyard but was also busy with doctor appts, etc. and just couldn't find the time to do it. I'm working myself up to working out this morning, put my workout clothes on after getting up, had my cup of coffee, and still haven't had the energy to workout. It's rainy and cold here and I just don't feel like doing it! And that's my story!

I broke the sound barrier, if you will, in the world of WLS! I hit 199! AND on my 3 month bandiversary!!! It feels so good to look down at the scale and see that. Of course, I took a picture of it so I can be reminded how good it feels but really don't need the picture as it just feels so good every day when I wake up and feel good mentally & physically. My confidence level is soaring {but not cocky :-) }which was a major component on deciding on the lapband as well as the physical side of it. Having more energy to do things, being positive, changing my old habits that got me to where I was is just part of this process. I still have a ways to go and that's ok. It'll give me more time to utilize the tools given to me through the band and through this wonderful website as well as looking towards the future when I hit my goal and deal with the fact of maintaining, another major factor in this process. Being addicted to food is a life time problem for me so I know when I hit my goal, it isn't over., it's for life. It ain't over until the fat lady sings and I am 95 and still living la vida loco! It is a team effort. As well as the support from this forum in general, the major support comes from "my" January Bandsters. I love you guys, through thick and thin, no pun intended! LOL Now, the major thought here, it's Friday, the weekend is coming up, we're having a family farewell early Cinco de Mayo party with tapas, etc. Will I be able to sustain the 199 on the scale by Monday morning? I'm not going to think about it, I feel great today, and I have the picture to prove it even if it's just for today!!!

Thank you all! Yes, it is a great feeling. Kudo's to all those here who have met their small goals along the way to getting to the ulitmate goal. It doesn't matter if it's onderland, or any other "land", it's our unique goal to acheive.

Mary, apparently you've hit a few milestones seeing you've lost 60lbs already. That's awesome! 16lbs is just around the corner. You can do it.

Thank you all and wishing you all the success!

Finally, I hit ONDERLAND this morning! 199lbs and counting down. I wrote a long post on the general forum this morning. However, I did not forget to mention my dear friends here on our January bandsters as it takes a village and without you all and your wonderful advice, suggestions, genuine kudo's here, we don't do it alone. We're a TEAM!!!!

I'm sorry JDI130, I forgot to get back to you on the Fitbit. First, think of last night as a "treat" NOT a treatment, as my mother use to say to us kids. As a child I never understood what she meant but now I do. :-) Check out FitBit.com online. I you can say it's a glorified pedometer but it does more. It does count your calories,activities, sleep patterns, etc. I use it in conjunction with MFP as they work together. Re: calories burned, prior to a workout, I check the calories burned so far, then after the workout I take that number and subtract it. "They" say it's pretty accurate. You can go in and add that as an activity with the amount of calories burned on the site. If I were you, try out the site first. You can sign up for the site without buying the fitbit. This way you get an idea if the program works for you in general. A lot of us here found out about it on here and bought it after our surgeries. You can also pull up other people's reviews on here in the fitness section. I love it and knowing I have it on, it makes me work. walk harder, futher whatever. I love seeing the progress I make on a given day. Perhaps it's more mental for me, but it's also physical which is the name of the game.

Tweety, that's the reason I got it. When I work out, {mornings} I make a chocolate protein shake with banannas and peanut butter. It's ohhhh so good, but don't want or need all that fat. I can't wait to get it today!

I just ordered mine from Amazon and it's coming tomorrow. Can't wait. Hear from everyone how good it is.

Count me in too! I have two more pounds to onederland so I'm going to play it safe and go with another 10lbs until June 1st. At this very moment I am concentrating eating a very rare hamburger slider from Trader Joe's. My first solid in a week since my fill fiasco last Thursday night and unfill Tuesday. Chew chew chew....mmmm, it's so good. My hubby goes for his 1st fill tonight and I didn't think it would be right for me to eat in front of him when he comes home.

CPT Code15830: Excision; Excessive skin & subcutaneous tissue {includes lipectomy} aabdomen, infraumbilical panniculectomy CPT Code 15847: Includes above plus abdominoplasty umbilial transpostion & facscial plication. These are the two common CPT codes we used in the plastic surgery practice I worked in. Good luck.

I have all the faith in you, Elizabeth to get to your goal by July. And even if you don't quite make onederland, but very close to it, they'll never know the number on your scale, they'll only see a much thinner version of yourself from when they saw you last 4th of July celebration.

N2, Glad to hear you finally got relief. Know the feeling. Not a good few days for the two of us but a sesson well learned.

Congrats on the bandiversary as well, Chrissylu. Mine is Saturday. Time goes by having fun!

Happy Birthday Chrissylu! Enjoy your day and yes, you deserve that Frapp! Thanks for your wonderful idea and getting us setting a goal for your birthday. I made my goal plus 1lb what with my 5 day fiasco with my 2nd fill. Whose birthday is it next! Next Goal anyone????

To all above, glad to hear we're back in the saddle so to speak, and feeling better. I know I am. Shonda: I agree with JDI130, don't give up! Have you spoken to your surgeon, nutritionist, support group? Finding LBT for me has been a wonderful wealth of information from all those around the world who are contributing their experience being banded. I never journaled before on any diet, even WW because I thought I knew it all. Guess what, I didn't! Having so many choices online to choose from, to journaling, pedometers, HRM, etc.makes me accountable for all I ate or did in one day. Love seeing the progress it shows on a daily basis, especially seeing the weight graphs going down, down, down. I love to journal now on MFP and wearing my FitBit. If I forget to wear the fitbit for some reason, and run to the store or an errand, I feel I cheated myself, as I need to see the calories I've burned. Granted, I've burned them but it doesn't show in black and white. That's just me. Don't give up, you've come too far. We're all here for you for support.

Hi gang! I just came back from the doctor's office. I had my 1cc fill {second fill} that the surgeon put in on Thurs taken out. It was just too much for me. I lost 6lbs since Thursday night! What a wonderful relief it is to be able to drink water and not have it gurgle, slime, stuck or throw up as I've done the past few days. I was miserable but just thought I needed a few days for the second fill to settle. WRONG! So, now I'm back on liquids, correction, still on liquids, for the next day or so, then mushies and then maybe by Friday, I'll be able to have a nice grilled rare NY Strip steak! I am 2 lbs away from Onderland. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the 6 lbs off and get back into working out {haven't worked out since Thurs as I had no energy to do anything}! Oh, what a relief it is........

JDI130- The garlic ones, we're my fav BUT no more!!! I can't wait to call the dr in the a.m. and hope to goodness it's just an unfill and not anything else wrong with the band.

N2Animals, I am going through the same thing with a very bad episode a few hrs ago. Mysecond fill was Thursday night and I thought I just needed some time. I only had 1cc put into my band, total 3.5cc. I could hardly drink water let alone food of any texture. I was giving it one more day today, {I know, how stupid} and decided to have a Carr's cracker. I just felt like a carb to chew and chew and chew. NOT a good idea. Threw out the box as I will never eat one of my favorite cracker's again! Like HorseGirl described her bad episode over the weekend, it was that, plus more. It was too late to call the office so I'll be calling first thing tomorrow morning. Finally, feeling better but damn hungry. I just tried a spoonful of FF Hormel Turkey chili and it went down but I decided to just not eat anymore. I too have lost a few pounds but don't care to lose it this way. N2, hope you're feeling better and get relief soon.